Favourite Christmas activities / music

[Andrew Walker]

Fairytale Of New York

[horrie hastings]

One of my favourites to watch on Christmas Day was called Cricket On The Hearth with characters voiced by Danny Thomas, Marlo Thomas and Roddy McDowall.
I have always loved this scene with a singing cat in a sleazy underground bar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwqr6lK5DBU

[horrie hastings]

A couple of years when we were home on Christmas Eve we watched Cricket on the Hearth ( mentioned above ) then this movie Christmas in Connecticut with Barbara Stanwyck.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoR8SfRX9Qg

[Big Dog]

Anyone remember watching this? Santa Claus conquers the Martians.

https://youtu.be/L4SZyeUGSM4?si=TYomNUQ6KmpEZnPu

[horrie hastings]

Anyone remember watching this? Santa Claus conquers the Martians.

https://youtu.be/L4SZyeUGSM4?si=TYomNUQ6KmpEZnPu

Yep, watched it a few time. It is listed in a book i have of the 50 worst movies of all time. Pia Zadora's first movie role, it should have been her last.
All in all if anyone hasn't seen it is worth a watch.

[mightyrooster]

All presents bought. I’m gradually getting the food shopping done and it’s not long before I’ll have to make the trifle and a sticky date pudding for Christmas Day.

[horrie hastings]

Have one more present to buy which i will probably do after work tomorrow.
Looking forward to just having a Christmas for just the two of us this year. Depending on the weather hoping to start the day with a swim at Mahons Pool or Little Bay then a nice lazy day. Have just about decided on the menu. will either have a prawn cocktail or prawns wrapped in prosciutto for an entree. Then turkey with lots of baked veges and some greens for the main. will either make a trifle or home made ice cream for desert and have some nice chocolates to go with the ice cream if that's the option we decide on. Will have nibbles before the entree , dolmades, caperberries, olives while having a cocktail or glass of bubbles before hand and some hand picked Christmas carols playing.

[horrie hastings]

Might even crank up the fire place DVD .

Martina McBride - Do You Hear What I Hear

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwpxi5wxVMc

[mightyrooster]

Have one more present to buy which i will probably do after work tomorrow.
Looking forward to just having a Christmas for just the two of us this year. Depending on the weather hoping to start the day with a swim at Mahons Pool or Little Bay then a nice lazy day. Have just about decided on the menu. will either have a prawn cocktail or prawns wrapped in prosciutto for an entree. Then turkey with lots of baked veges and some greens for the main. will either make a trifle or home made ice cream for desert and have some nice chocolates to go with the ice cream if that's the option we decide on. Will have nibbles before the entree , dolmades, caperberries, olives while having a cocktail or glass of bubbles before hand and some hand picked Christmas carols playing.

It will just be our little family of 4 for Christmas day as well. Which I'm very happy about as it's less cooking and planning for me. We will do an extended family get together a week later but luckily it's not my turn to host this year. We have to take a long drive into regional NSW however. Christmas lunch at this stage will be roast pork and crackling (of course!) and lots of roast veggies. Sticky date pudding with vanilla ice cream for dessert. Then dinner we'll have leg ham, turkey, a choice of salads and trifle. Lots of nibbles throughout the day too of course. One vodka cruiser will do me for the alcohol content. And yes Christmas Carols on in the background.

[horrie hastings]

It will just be our little family of 4 for Christmas day as well. Which I'm very happy about as it's less cooking and planning for me. We will do an extended family get together a week later but luckily it's not my turn to host this year. We have to take a long drive into regional NSW however. Christmas lunch at this stage will be roast pork and crackling (of course!) and lots of roast veggies. Sticky date pudding with vanilla ice cream for dessert. Then dinner we'll have leg ham, turkey, a choice of salads and trifle. Lots of nibbles throughout the day too of course. One vodka cruiser will do me for the alcohol content. And yes Christmas Carols on in the background.

Its funny, i like roast pork but rarely will we cook a leg of pork at home, the few times we have done it it has come out fine but i'm never confidant cooking it. Heading out to a raffle this evening at the local bowlo and they have hams and pork tonight, hoping for a ham but probably wont win a thing.

Have decided on a trifle for desert but just going to make some individual ones so there's not a lot of left overs, a friend dropped over a home made fruit cake yesterday and i'm almost in food coma from it already, it is delicious and rich but i have eaten far to much of it already.

[Big Dog]

Its funny, i like roast pork but rarely will we cook a leg of pork at home, the few times we have done it it has come out fine but i'm never confidant cooking it. Heading out to a raffle this evening at the local bowlo and they have hams and pork tonight, hoping for a ham but probably wont win a thing.

Have decided on a trifle for desert but just going to make some individual ones so there's not a lot of left overs, a friend dropped over a home made fruit cake yesterday and i'm almost in food coma from it already, it is delicious and rich but i have eaten far to much of it already.

How'd you go with the raffles H?

It's ham and prawns for us this Christmas. And beer.

[mightyrooster]

Its funny, i like roast pork but rarely will we cook a leg of pork at home, the few times we have done it it has come out fine but i'm never confidant cooking it. Heading out to a raffle this evening at the local bowlo and they have hams and pork tonight, hoping for a ham but probably wont win a thing.

Have decided on a trifle for desert but just going to make some individual ones so there's not a lot of left overs, a friend dropped over a home made fruit cake yesterday and i'm almost in food coma from it already, it is delicious and rich but i have eaten far to much of it already.

Oh I only ever have roast pork on Christmas Day. I grew up with this tradition and since both Mum and Dad have passed, it’s a tradition I don’t want to break. To be honest I prefer the crackling to the meat so it’s a good thing we only have it once a year! I think Christmas is a time we all tend to over indulge with the food. You then need a whole fortnight or so to detox. Time for Christmas lights and some carols tonight.

[horrie hastings]

How'd you go with the raffles H?

It's ham and prawns for us this Christmas. And beer.

Hi Big Dog, guess what i ended up winning ? a pork roast, beautiful looking piece of meat, haven't been able to weigh it yet but looks at least around 4 kilo. There were 21 prizes, 11 hams and 10 pork roasts and they started off with ham and it went ham then pork like that so no choice, its funny even though i said earlier i probably wont win anything in the back of my mind i thought i was going to win pork, mainly because pre covid when the club had the Christmas raffles they had ham, pork and turkey and i went hoping to win either ham or turkey but ended up winning pork back then.
Trying to work out whether to cut the roast in half as it is large or put in the freezer whole. Actually if we didn't already have the turkey i would have probably cooked the pork on Christmas Day.

Prawns and ham sound perfect. Seeing i'm working Christmas Eve till around 4 pm we are going to have a mezze style dinner with lots of nibbles and will have some prawns with it and most likely ham too. Going to be great to get inside after Christmas eve retail and just lock the door away from the madness.

[mightyrooster]

Hi Big Dog, guess what i ended up winning ? a pork roast, beautiful looking piece of meat, haven't been able to weigh it yet but looks at least around 4 kilo. There were 21 prizes, 11 hams and 10 pork roasts and they started off with ham and it went ham then pork like that so no choice, its funny even though i said earlier i probably wont win anything in the back of my mind i thought i was going to win pork, mainly because pre covid when the club had the Christmas raffles they had ham, pork and turkey and i went hoping to win either ham or turkey but ended up winning pork back then.
Trying to work out whether to cut the roast in half as it is large or put in the freezer whole. Actually if we didn't already have the turkey i would have probably cooked the pork on Christmas Day.

Prawns and ham sound perfect. Seeing i'm working Christmas Eve till around 4 pm we are going to have a mezze style dinner with lots of nibbles and will have some prawns with it and most likely ham too. Going to be great to get inside after Christmas eve retail and just lock the door away from the madness.

Congrats Horrie. Hope you enjoy the pork.

[horrie hastings]

Oh I only ever have roast pork on Christmas Day. I grew up with this tradition and since both Mum and Dad have passed, it’s a tradition I don’t want to break. To be honest I prefer the crackling to the meat so it’s a good thing we only have it once a year! I think Christmas is a time we all tend to over indulge with the food. You then need a whole fortnight or so to detox. Time for Christmas lights and some carols tonight.

That is a great tradition to continue.Like you i love the crackling and the few times we have made it at home the crackling has come out fine, the other thing i like is porchetta, but a little bit goes a long way as it can be very rich.